Nurses Suspends Nationwide Warning Strike

Nurses Suspends Nationwide Warning Strike

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) has officially suspended its nationwide one-week warning strike, initially scheduled to end next Tuesday.

This decision was reached during a virtual meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) held Saturday, according to the association’s Assistant Secretary-General, Chidi Aligwe.

Aligwe confirmed that nurses and midwives across the country have been instructed to return to work immediately.

The suspension followed a wave of confusion after the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammad Pate, prematurely announced the end of the industrial action, a claim which NANNM promptly refuted.

The strike was triggered by the federal government’s failure to meet key demands presented by the association, despite previous negotiations. These included: an upward review of shift and uniform allowances; introduction of a distinct salary structure for nurses, increase in core duty allowance, massive recruitment of nursing professionals and creation of a nursing department within the Federal Ministry of Health.

NANNM’s NEC acknowledged that recent government efforts showed some progress toward addressing their nine core demands, particularly the provision of a timeline-based implementation plan.

The association made its position known in a circular co-signed by its National President, Haruna Mamman, and General Secretary, T.A. Shettima.

“In view of the formal agreement reached, and in line with the principle of dialogue and good faith, NEC hereby suspends the ongoing nationwide strike action with immediate effect,” the statement read.

NEC also instructed that no nurse, whether intern or locum, should face any form of retaliation for participating in the strike.

The breakthrough followed a multi-agency meeting involving NANNM leaders and senior representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Employment, National Salaries and Wages Commission, and other key government bodies.

The national leadership of NANNM has been tasked with closely monitoring the implementation of the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and ensuring that the government adheres to the agreed timelines.